Give Blood
Reviewed by:
stratman13, on july 10, 2007 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Sound: Brakes is made up of Eamon Hamilton, formerly of British Sea Power; Alex and Tom White of Electric Soft Parade; and Marc Beatty of The Tenderfoot. The results are a total departure from an of the three bands' work. The songs range from indie to punk to dance to country, as well as ace covers of Johnny and June Carter Cash's "Jackson" and The Jesus And Mary Chain's "Sometimes Always." The album also features collaborations with members of The Duke Spirit, Actress Hands, and Pipettes. The album is under 30 minutes long, with most tracks shorter than three minutes. This, as well as the wide range of genres covered, makes the album fly by like a little dust devil. // 9

Lyrics: The quirkiness of the music belies it's critiques of topics as wide ranging as indie culture ("Heard About Your Band") and politics ("Cheney"). The latter, clocking in at an epic ten seconds goes as follwos, "Cheney, Cheney, Cheney, stop being such a dick!" The lyrtics aren't always amazing, but they complement the rest of the band. The songs are all sung by Eamon, who has a very unique voice that lreally adds to the feel of the songs. // 8

Overall Impression: At first listen, I thought of it as a quirkier version of the Arctic Monkeys, but as I listened more I found that Brakes really doesn't have a comparison. "You're So Pretty" and "Sometimes Always" are my favorite songs, and "Hi How Are You" always makes me laugh. I love how the album really feels "complete" despite its short length. Even though its shortness adds to its character, I sometimes feel like I want more when it's over. I would certainly buy it again if something were to happen to it. // 9